Fender Broad Racing

Fender Broad Racing

We are enthusiasts and enjoy nothing more than competing in race, rally and hillclimb events. Following our Le Mans Classic exploits in 2010 where we were the first drum braked car home in our XK120, things went a lttle quiet until Guy had a fantastic result at the Goodwood revival in the same 120 and then again in the Cooper Bristol. Neil raced in the Triumph invitation race in his ex-works TR2 'PKV693' and blew a half shaft oil seal bringing proceedings to a premature halt. Guy has just returned from competition in the Malta GP where the Cooper Bristol won trophies for class wins and the Healey 100S was hustled around the circuit by Classic and Sports Car scribe and XK enthusiast Graeme Hurst.

Forthcoming events on the Fender Broad calender are Silverstone Classic 60 minute pre 1955 sports car race followed by 60 minute 2 driver race at the Spa 6 hours event. Both in the ex-works TR2. Guy will be riding solo at the Goodwood revival this year in the Alta Jaguar and Neil will be doing the same at the Triumph Invitational event at Mallory Park in August were we will team up in the 60 minute 2 driver FIA appendix K sports car series run by the CSCC.

If you are attending any of these events don't be shy come over and say hello, We'd love to see you. This page will be refreshed on a regular basis with competition drama!

GRRC Members Race 2014

This year we've been invited to attend and race in the 72nd Goodwood Road Racing Clubs race meeting in March. Guy Broad will be at the helm of our ex-works Triumph racer; PKV 693 as he battles for Fender-Broad glory!

The event is a continuation of the 71 club meetings held at Goodwood during the 1950s and ’60s for the members of the BARC. The 72nd Members’ Meeting should be unlike anything that’s gone before. With the flair and innovation that typifies Goodwood motor sport events, this should be a memorable weekend of shared passions and enthusiasm. It will feel unlike any other event, with its own distinctive atmosphere and we're looking forward to putting PKV through its paces once more!

Le Mans Classic 2012

It's dusk and we had just been interviewed by a young lady from Motors TV in their live night time show. I'm starting to feel like some of the professional racing drivers I am about to enter the track with.

Why interview me? Well, that's the very essence of Classic Le Mans. I have visited Le Sarthe as a spectator many times. I worked in the pits in 2001 with Dick Barbour Racing and now it's my turn as a true Le Mans 24hr enthusiast to live the dream. That's what the Le Mans Classic gives an owner of a special car the chance to do.

In the afternoon we had performed the run across the track in the 1955 style when the Triumph Works entered 2 then 3 cars for the 24hrs. PKV693 was the fourth car. The spare if you will. If another entry had dropped out PKV693 would have made up the 4th TR entry. 1955 was that tragic year in which many lost their lives. No thought of accidents now for that is the race drivers enemy. This is a race in the dead of night.

PKV693 fires up and we join C-Types, XK's, Maserati, Mercedes, Alfa Romeos, Lotus, MG and of course 3 TR's on the formation grid. Arriving slightly late we drive past the 30+ cars who are 'slower' than us. Many should be quicker but aren't. Must be my driving ability or more likely the well prepared PKV693!

I sit with my helmet on in the wet for what seems like ages getting progressively more nervous and anxious. On the signal to start up PKV fires as the faithful car that delivered my dad and I to the finish ramp on the Tulip Rally four years earlier surely would.

The rolling warm-up lap passes quickly and then suddenly the revs ahead rise and the race is on. The Maserati spears straight into the right hand concrete wall before the start line and is heavily damaged. We blast up the pit straight, through the chicane under the legendary Dunlop bridge, down the hill through the esses and then into Terte Rouge which spits us out onto the Mulsanne straight.

Already in top gear the Mulsanne captures my attention fully. The wind rushes past my head with increasing velocity. I sink in the seat slightly ducking down behind the aero screen as the pace picks up. Trees flash past on either side with the occasional light beam creating a ghostly viewing mass of towering swaying trees. Quite eerie. In the distance, but approaching rapidly is the first chicane. The bright floodlights reference the braking area and PKV snakes under heavy braking and disengagement of the overdrive. Down to third gear we take 2 cars under braking. The rear fish tails out of the chicane with the tyres scrabbling for grip on the damp surface.

With my foot flat to the floor the revs rise again to 6500 and top gear is snatched, then overdrive at 6000. PKV is probably reaching 130mph which is far more than the works cars would have done over the 24hr race, however this is a sprint and PKV is rasping and thrusting forward towards the next chicane. More confident of the wet weather I brake harder and later scrubbing off speed, taking third and accelerating aggressively through the chicane and back out onto the straight.

In my rear view mirror I can see dozens of pairs of headlights searching for direction and swaying under braking into the corners. Magical Mulsanne. Lonely at times especially on the later laps. Frightening when being passed or passing another competitor. The engine noise is quite extraordinary as I pass a C-Type and then he is back again and then an XK140 and then a Maserati howling under high revs. There is no noise or sensory experience like the Mulsanne at night

How my 'hero' Vic Elford managed 24hrs of 200mph sorties down the Mulsanne fills me with awe and admiration. I did my best and PKV693 performed perfectly. When all of the racing was said and done, we'd we won the index of performance trophy which now sits proudly on my mantle piece.

Tulip Rally Retrospective 2008

Pascal called and said why don't you bring your ex-works TR2 PKV693 to Holland and join sister car OVC276 in replicating part of the Triumph Works entered team from 1955. What a damn good idea I said!

Good ideas are all well and good. However fail to prepare then prepare to fail seemed appropriate in what happened next.

PKV693 is set up as a race car I told Pascal. No bother he said the rally is all on sealed roads..it would transpire that he was lying to me!!

The idea took seed in my mind. After all the rally is a big TR event and to have 2 of the works entered team from 1955 must be good.

In short I took my dad on the rally as a 'lad and dad' event. Hopelessly under prepared and without any navigational aids or measuring devices, we rolled up to the start in a car that was so low to the ground in barely cleared the smallest speed bump. The following 5 days were sun drenched and also the toughest navigation I have ever experienced. To be fair my dad was hopeless on the maps however I should have told him how hard it might be, especially for a novice without measuring devices on 4 different scaled maps! All summarised by a secret check where the official stared at our sun drenched red faces and at our matching red dashboard and enquired as to the whereabouts of our Halda, 'we don't have one' I replied, 'you must have a GPS system then' he said. 'no we've nothing' I said. 'Crazy f##ing Englishmen!' he shouted whilst laughing and waiving us on to a glorious finish with no breakdowns and third place on the TR Team prize.

Oh yes we did have a mechanical fault. As we pulled up the finishing ramp the sharp angle pulled the exhaust off! Only breakdown of the event. As for Pascal's maginificently prepared rally car...He snapped a half shaft on the first day!!!

Preparation is everything...isn't it? We made some great Dutch friends too who liked our car and the fact we were slightly mad enthusiasts!